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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — shares
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stock — goods
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com